National Republican., 1887-11-21
1Nlusr TO TIE STATES.
The civil Service CoInmissioners Fin,
Some Unfair AIIotments.

Some Unfair AIIotments.
The clvil service commission for year or
longer, but more particularly during the
last few months, has received from time to
time, from public men and others, com
plants Of persons having received appoint
ments to the classified departmental service
from states OF which they were not, and IN
some cases, never had been citizens. This, the
companants maintain, is obviously unfair
under the rule apportioning to each state
and territory an equitable quota Of clerical
appointments to the departmental service,
as In this way states quota may be un-
Justly and completely exhausted by the ap-
pointment of persons who are not citizens
of that state. Whenever sufficiently specific
data has been furnished, the commission
has made an investigation, and, II the facts
are found as charger, such persons have
been removed.
With view to effactuslly putting stop
to this rapidly growing practice OF appll-
cants for examination claiming legal resi-
dence In states having untitled quotas,
regardless of the facts as TO citizenship or
residence, and TO raise the standard Of
essential character qualifications, the com
mission has adopted new and much more
stringent form OF application which will
Immediately put into use. This action was
to some extent FASTENED, II Is said, by the
discovery of the somewhat significant aud
surprising fact that at each OF tho last two
monthly examinations which were held in
this city by the commission, and at which
over enc hundred applicants were exam
ined, all with but two or three exceptions,
claimed other residence than the District
of Columbia.
In addition to re luiring more specific an
swers to the questions propounded, the new
application requires answers to q much
greater number Of questions than the old
form, particularly as to personal history.
Among these are the following which are
required to be answered separately for each
Of the four years. preceding the one in
OF abode during (yearY") "Your occupa-
ton, business, employment or position dur
ing that year," ""Name OF your employer and
his businessm "Present postofllce address
Of employer9n "Length of stay with en-
ployergn "Cause OF leavingW The truth
Of the statements made In the application
must be sworn to, as hitherto. before a
qualified officer having seal.
Another charge is made In the form and
matter OF the certificates required from per-
sons vouching for the good character, &c. 4,
Of the applicant. The new form requires
that three citizens who have known the ap.
plicant one year or longer I'LL the blanks
prescribed In their own handwriting. One
OF the questions asked is, "Would you
yourself trust him with employment requir
ing undoubted honesty, and would you
recommend him for such to your personal
friends ~ Another important change is
that persons making these statements must
be actual, bona flde residents OF the state,
territory, or District In which the applicant
claims residence, and one Of them must be
resident OF the city, town, county, or
parish in which the applicant claims resi-
dence, and an applicant who cannot obtain
a statement from each OF three citizens that
he (the applicaLt) Is personally known to
| him as bona fde resident, &C., will not be
examined for the classified departmental
| service. No recommendations OF an appll-
| cant, other than that contained in the re-
| quired statements concerning him, will be
| received by the commission.
Still another important changeis made, in
that, hereafter these certificates will be de-
tached from the regular application and
retained by the commission instead Of be-
ing sent to the appointing officer when a
certi6cation is asked for. This change Ia
rendered necessary, 1t is stated, by the fact
that, under the present method, appointing
officers can, II so disposed, by referring to
and judging from the Endorsements on the
back OF the application, determine, with
more or less accuracy, not only the char
acter and qualifications, but the politics OF
the applicant. And for this reason, 1t Is
said, applicants are often anxious to obtain
the Endorsements of prominent politicians
Of whichever party happens to be In power
In this way an applicants chance for ap
| pointment, even when once certified, may
be made to depend, to some extent at least
upon the political influence Of his friends
thus defeating the main object sought to b,
obtained by the commission.
The three certificates required In the de-
partmental service will not be required IN
the customs or postal service outside the
Postolilce Department, as the applicant il
those cases 10 required to be resident OF
the state in which he seeks to be employed
and often lives In the same city In which
the customs or postoffice Is located, so
that the appointing officer may easily oh
tain all necessary information by persona
Inquiry Of former employers and others.
| The commission has In contemplation
rule requiring all examination papers o
whatever class or service to be sent to IL
office In Washington for examination AMI
marking, thus relieving local boards o
much labor and at the same securing ai
absolute uniformity in rating not otherwis
easily obtainable. II this rule is adopted 1
is expected that the services OF all board
Of examiners, except the one In Washing
ton, may be dispensed with, and the work
thus curtailed, be performed by one man
as the examinations would be conducted bl
l SNN tIa l.nlA L.,.